Our Intention In Building Correctional Facilities Is To Reduce Congestion — Governor Alex Otti
Our Intention In Building Correctional Facilities Is To Reduce Congestion — Governor Alex Otti
Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, says his intention in building new facilities for the Correctional Centres in Abia State is to reduce congestion in the facilities.
Governor Otti stated this on Friday, November 21st in his office, when the new Zonal Coordinator of the Nigerian Correctional Services, Owerri, Zone E and Assistant Controller General of Corrections , Dr Ngozi Amanze, paid him a familiarisation visit.
In the words of the Governor, ” Our intention when we decided to build new facilities (for the Correctional Centres) is to reduce congestion and reduce the temptation to more crime in there.
“Even when people go there, we also want them to be corrected and reformed, rather than becoming hardened criminals”, Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti, who reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving correctional facilities in the State, recalled that, shortly after assuming office, he met a former Kaduna lawmaker, Sen. Shehu Sani, who told him he would only visit Abia again after the completion of renovations at the Aba Correctional Centre, where he was once detained during the Abacha regime.
He said that the encounter prompted him to send a team to assess the condition of the facility and their visit coincided with a complaint from Correctional Services over encroachment by members of the host community.
The Governor said that he had in the last 2 years attempted to grant pardon to some inmates as a way of decongesting the facilities, but could not find those with minor offences and requested her to look for those with minor offences for possible pardon.
“A lot of people were there for murder, for serious offences. We repeated the same thing in December 2024. We still couldn’t find anything.
“We hope that you will help us look again. We don’t want the number to increase, because when you have a large number of your population in those facilities, it means that crime is increasing”, Gov. Otti stated.
On the challenges raised by the Coordinator, Gov. Otti said that the government would prioritise strengthening medical services in the facilities. He directed the Hon. Commissioner for Health to assess the centres and explore the establishment of functional primary health care centre.
“I noticed some of the points you raised about education, skilled acquisition, drugs and medical facilities.
“I don’t know how it will work, but where you have such a large number of people, you should have working medical facilities.
“Even if it’s not a hospital, it could be a primary health care centre to attend to the inmates. We will try and support you with that” Gov. Otti assured.
The Governor thanked the Service for its cooperation and acknowledged the Coordinator’s remarks on the ongoing reforms in the correctional centres in Abia.
Speaking earlier, the Zonal Coordinator of the Nigerian Correctional Services, Owerri, Zone E, Dr Ngozi Amanze, who disclosed that she came to familiarise with the Governor as the new Zonal Coordinator, commended the Governor for his significant interventions that have strengthened security and improved conditions in Correctional facilities across the State.
She listed the fortified perimeter wall at the Aba Correctional Centre, installation of solar lights, and the construction of a new storey building with six cells as some of the interventions of Governor Otti, that have boosted security and staff confidence.
She noted that congestion remains a major concern across Correctional Centres in the country, adding that the new cell blocks, once completed, would significantly expand the capacity of the Aba facility and reduce overcrowding.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Uba (Rtd) and other heads of security aides of the Governor were present at the visit.
Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.